Hollow decorative containers



April 9, 1968 R. E. HUTLEY HOLLOW DECORATIVE CONTAINERS Filed Aug. 14, 1964 lal United States Patent W 3,377,239 HOLLGW DEORATIVE CONTAINERS Robert E. Hutley, Box 151, RD. 1A, Russell, Pa. 16345 Filed Aug. 14, 1964, Ser. No. 389,739 3 Claims. (Cl. 1 61-32) ABSTRACT OF THE DISQLUSURE A display cage comprising a vertical member, a frame at least partially surrounding said vertical member; filaments secured to opposite ends of said vertical member, said filament extending from end to end of said vertical member and engaging said frame in mutually spaced relationship.

This invention relates to hollow decorative containers adapted to contain and expose ornamental materials or objects to view, the containers being adapted to be suspended from overhead supports or mounted laterally from supports.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of simple, inexpensive, and versatile devices of the kind indicated above, which are adapted to enclose and support, and expose to view, an unlimited variety of decorative things, which can be changed, from time to time, when desired, examples of such decorative things being fruits, flowers, tree cones, and the like.

Another object of the invention is the provision of devices of the character indicated above, which are com posed of a small number of uncomplex and easily assembled components, which components, include a standard, open horizontal frame means, and linear members, such as cords, wires, and the like, either rigid or flexible, secured to the upper and lower ends of the standards, and engaged with the peripheral edge of the frame means, the frame means being either a single frame, or multiple frames, positioned in spaced relation to the ends of the standard.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side evelatio-n of a device of the invention, shown containing and supporting a decorative object in the form of a bunch of grapes, and suspended from a support;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged vertical transverse section taken on the line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a frame;

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of another device of the invention, fixed laterally to a support; and,

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary transverse vertical section taken on the line 66 of FIGURE 5.

Referring in detail to the darwings, and first to FIGURES 1 to 4 thereof, the pendant device 10 illustrated therein comprises a vertically enlongated standard 12, formed, in its ends, with intersecting, right-angularly related grooves 14 and 16.

An open frame 18, herein shown as being square, which may be of any other desired configuration, such as elongated, rectangular, oval, or circular, spacedly sur- 3,3772% Patented Apr. 9, 1968 rounds the standard 12, at a point preferably intermediate the ends of the standard. The opening 20 of the frame 18 is preferably many times larger in diameter than the standard 12.

The frame 18 is composed of a single peripheral member 22, of any desired cross section, which is herein illustrated as composed of right-angularly related sides 24 of rectangular cross section. The peripheral member 22 has an outer or peripheral edge 26, which is formed, preferably at equally spaced intervals, with vertical grooves 28.

Vertical linear members 30, in the form of closed loops, have upper and lower portions 32 trained through related ones of the standard grooves 14 and 16, and flights, which include upper outwardly and downwardly angles flights 34 and downwardly and inwardly angled lower flights 36, which extend between the upper end of the standard, and the lower end of the standard, respectively, and have intermediate portions 38 engaged in the peripheral grooves 28.

The linear members 30 are approximately of the same length, so that, when the assembled device is elevated, by means of its standard 12, the peripheral member 22 of the frame 18 is concentrically spaced from the standard 12, on a level substantially the mid-height point of the standard.

As shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, the grooves 14 and 16, in the upper end of the standard 12, are relatively deep, and the grooves 14 have suspension pins 40 extending thereacross, over which is engaged a loop 42, on the lower end of a suspension cord 44, which is adapted to be attached to an overhead support (not shown).

Ornamentals objects, exemplified by a bunch of grapes 46, are adapted to be secured to the standard, within the cage 43, defined by the linear members 30, and the frame 18, to be seen through the spaces between the linear members. The standard 12 itself, and the frame 18 may be decorated, as desired.

The linear members 30 may be of rigid or flexible metal or plastic, a fabric or wood material, and the standard 12 and/or the frame 18 may be made of wood, metal, ceramic, plastic, or compostion materials.

The non-pendant device shown in FIGURES 5 and 6, and generally designated 100, which is designed for lateral mounting on a wall W or other vertical support, comprises a standard 12a, similar to the standard 12 of the device 10 of FIGURES 1 to 4, but has, in contrast to the device 10, a triangular frame 182:, whose base side 46 is adapted to bear against the surface of the wall W, with screws 48 extending through the base side 46 and threaded into the wall.

As in the case of the frame 18 of the dvice It), the frame 18a may have configurations other than triangular, which involve a side having a flat outer surface.

Instead of the frame 18a being entirely spaced from the standard 120, the standard 1211 is secured to the inner side of the base side 46. The arrangement of linear members 30a is otherwise the same as in the device 10.

What is claimed is:

1. A display cage comprising a rigid standard having upper and lower ends, a horizontal frame surrounding the standard, the standard being designed to support at least one ornamental object, spaced filaments connected at one end to the upper end of the standard and connected at the n {,8 other end to the lower end of the standard, said frame having a peripheral edge, said filaments having intermediate portions engaged with said peripheral edge, said peripheral edge eing formed with spaced vertical grooves in which said intermediate portions are engaged, and suspension means at the upper end of the standard.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said spaced filaments are connected to the upper and lower ends of the standard having intersecting grooves, in which related portions of all the filaments are engaged.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein said frame has a side adapted to laterally engage a vertical support,

and means on said side for securing the same against the support, the standard being secured to the inner surface of said frame side.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,201,201 5/1940 Protz 16116 2,526,546 10/1950 Dowsing 161--18 2,445,419 7/1948 Brown 161'18 2,064,826 12/1936 Gabriel 161--32 JACOB H. STEINBERG, Primary Examiner. 

